1 Nov 11

US Online Poker – Embraced in Campus Culture

Despite the fact that the best US online poker sites have been closed down by the DoJ; the game of online poker has been embraced by the young of the USA and has very much become a big part of campus culture. Gamblers are no longer associated with booze, fast women, smoky saloons and cigars. It has become a cultural pursuit for young players who often use poker winnings to pay for college fees, and are more often than not; very intelligent young men, and some women. Online poker has become a kind of mental athletics for college kids.

The Washington Post recently took a closer look at young Erich Froehlich (now 27) as a prime example of the atypical young US online poker player. He was certainly smart enough to get special admission to the elite Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, and as the son of a chemical engineer, moved on to University of Virginia. It was here that he discovered playing online poker, and at age 22 became the youngest winner ever of a WSOP bracelet. This was in 2005, before the advent of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Not that this law made very much difference players until recent times!

Since 2005, WSOP bracelets have been won by even younger poker players – all of whom have trained themselves to play online. However the age limit to win in this competition is 21, it takes place in Las Vegas, where the legal gambling age is 21 years. Online poker players start playing at only 18 (sometimes younger), and the online poker players of today are not wild children like Stu Unger, they are college graduates – literally nerds, rather than gun toting ‘gangstas’.

The college culture finds online poker at home in dorm rooms, and while some young professional poker players are college drop-outs, they generally only drop out because they are already making so much money that they want to concentrate on their game. Much like the proverbial successful college football player, who is allowed to shirk academic subjects to concentrate on their game.

Online poker is not the only form of this game being seen on college campuses, these youngsters are organizing poker games for fund raising and other events. In fact they are playing this game whenever and wherever they find or can create the opportunity. The University of Virginia hosts an annual poker tournament called “Hold ‘em for Hunger”, while the University of Maryland Engineering students  recently hosted their 4th Annual Casino Night – card-playing and networking.

The Federal Government does not see things in the same light as the future mind of America do – they have been far less indulgent. But, the last three WSOP Main Event Winners have all been online poker players, aged 22, 21 and 23; and they were all male. In a recent survey, 1.7 million college age male students played poker online at least once a month, and todays’ curious collegiate pursues poker online, the same way their parents pondered chess or the Rubicks Cube.

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19 Aug 11

Making decisions in the game of poker

Most poker players would like to learn how to be more focused. Even professional often make decisions on the autopilot without properly over thinking things. Before you try to beat your opponents you should first control your own thoughts – always think before you act.

Of course we all like to play our best, but poker is not always about playing your best game. It is more about knowing how to avoid mistakes. Taking the right decisions is the key to earning more profit. If you keep standing behind your own decisions then chances are really high that you will be finishing the year with profit. Give yourself time to make the right choice. This is especially important if you participate in a tournament where one wrong decision can undo hours and even days of hard work.

It is also very important that your opponents think that you always make the right decisions. A major part of your image comes from the things you feel comfortable with. Make yourself hard to ‘read’. Once your opponents see that you are in doubt then they know enough.

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18 Feb 11

World Series of Poker Signs for French Online License

Now that the first rush for French online poker licenses from ARJEL (the French regulator) is just about over and all the big operators are already dipping their oars into these waters; the World Series of Poker has also signed a deal to receive a French online poker license. Like all of the other operators in this industry, this must be done as a joint venture partnership with a local firm, and the WSOP has entered into a JV with gaming operator Groupe Lucien Barrière. This took place last week as the first crucial step towards getting into this (hopefully) highly lucrative online gambling marketplace. The WSOP brand is owned by Caesars Interactive Entertainment’s which is an international concern, so, WSOP.fr will no doubt soon be launched.

The license approval was only granted last Friday, so it is still early days, as to what the new French site will look like? If it is anything like WSOP.com, the French online poker playing community will be in for a real treat. This license was granted only days after Caesars Interactive Entertainment signed the JV agreement with Lucien Barrière Hôtels & Casinos. The agreement caters for both live and online poker events throughout France and as subsidiary, BarrierePoker.fr was also selected to be the exclusive provider for official online qualifying rounds in respect of the WSOP Europe; which by the way has now moved from London to Cannes in France; the Barrière Poker Tour 2011, and the WSOP Las Vegas.

The new WSOP site will be presented in French and offer all the great features of the .com site, as well as offer real money games. We are still not sure when the site will be launched, but it will be some time later this year (2011). To date Arjel has awarded 34 new licenses to operators for a total of 67 online poker sites.

In the meantime check out WSOP.com, and get some idea of what the French will be in for. This is a brilliant production and if you fancy a free lesson to see if you enjoy playing online poker – the “Academy” is the place to go. This is the WSOP Academy online and the poker school officially associated with this tournament. The World Series of Poker is without doubt the most prestigious poker tournament on Earth and the academy is a first-of-its-kind. Basically they provide one-on-one training (virtually of course) from some of the best poker pros in the business. It is available 24/7 for comprehensive teaching and certification, all you need is the will to learn to play poker and an internet connection.

Imagine being seated at the felt with 11-time WSOP bracelet winner, Phil Hellmuth at his “home game”? Get insight into this champion of champions and his friends, in a completely informal setting by watching a series of ongoing games and commentary. If you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall in a Hellmuth home game, now is your chance, find it at WSOP.com.

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20 Dec 09

Texas Holdem Strategy

Strategy is what makes every game or battle a triumph. It is indeed the real secret weapon of any player or warrior. Texas Holdem, just like any card game is not a game of luck. Did you know that this requires lots of mathematical thinking skills and common sense as well?

Here is a list of the most powerful Texas Holdem Strategy you can use against your opponents in the battlefield of 52 card deck:

• Always remember to play the strong hands. These are the 5 best cards that you will use for the showdown. The success of your play lies with them because they are also referred to as the magic cards.

• If you see the flop on a reasonable price, just play the cards which have medium strengths.

• Be aggressive! In playing your hands, just take and take all the raises which you can obtain and get!

So, the next time you are in front of your opponents, don’t worry….just use your strategies.

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6 Dec 09

Players We Can Find In Online Poker

The more one is getting far with playing poker, especially online poker, one is also getting more knowledgeable with the kinds of players that he is about to deal with basing it from the array of players that he has dealt before.

When one is able to read different poker players’ characteristics, he surely has a talent that most professional players would consider as a talent that is ripen by time and experiences. For the most parts, the characters of poker players can only be trimmed down to three classifications:

• The Aggressive Player
• The Juvenile Player
• The Conservative Player

There are some things that you need to take note when you are able or you are about to deal with the three kinds of poker players that are mentioned.

The Aggressive Player

From the word “aggressive” itself, we can say that these players are the ones who are likely to do anything and everything to the peak of their power for them to be able to put pressure and manipulate you so that they can put you and let you do things in their own discretion. There are the ones who are fond of bluffing either by folding and raising that in turn would greatly affect other players.

Players who are considered to be great aggressive players are those players who would manifest confidence and even the act of unnerving opponents especially if they know that the stakes are very high. When this happens and you give them the chance to go over with their aggressiveness on you, they would surely take the chance of controlling you and taking away money from you.

For those players who would come across with such kind of players, they are advised not to be intimidated and never show that they are and more especially to get to know how to manage the way these aggressive players play.

The Juvenile Player

If a player’s moves resemble to be foolish, careless, overacting, cocky, abrasive, and incredibly immature, they are probably known to be the Juvenile players. These kinds of players are the most recognizable ones and the most noticeable too. These players too are the most common players who seldom win any money in the game, first one to lose in the game with all their money and more especially the ones who are taking stupid risks.

With the above-mentioned characteristics of the three players, we can say and imply that such kind of players is the type that we would not want to play with, we dislike the most and we do not really give respect.

The Conservative Players

The Conservative type of players is those players who are able to weigh things over before making any moves. They are the ones who take risks if necessary and would bet only if the cards would turn out right. They are the ones who are knowledgeable with the rules of the game inside and out and known to have analyzing skills and exceptional memory.

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25 Oct 09

Popular Online Poker Rooms

Poker is one of the favorite pastimes of almost every individual not just in the United States, but in the entire world. People find the game relaxing and amusing. But what is more comfortable about poker is that it also able you to play for it on the internet. Although some people are hesitant to play online poker, other still continues playing this much preferred pastime.

After the passage that prohibits online gambling in the United States, it changed the approach internet poker was supposed to be played. Most of the poker online sites that give US residents the access to play poker online stopped from operating their sites. Although US players can still play, they are not able to continue and play the usual “actual money” poker games.

Majority of the top poker online sites have stopped from operating such business with the US players. Examples of these online sites are the Party Poker, Pacific Poker and the Titan Poker.

However, US players do not need to worry since there are still highly ranked poker online sites that accept US players. Listed below are the following poker sites that encourage US residents to continue playing poker online.

Poker Stars

This is one of the most favorite poker online sites of majority of the poker players worldwide. Poker Stars is well known for its famous poker players. Some of the contestants who play in the World Poker Series also play in this poker online site. So if you consider yourself really good at playing poker then probably Poker Stars is the best site suitable for you. This online site is also considered as one of the top rated and most competitive poker online sites all over the world.

Full Tilt Poker

This poker online site is highly recommended by some of the greatest and most renowned poker players of the world. So if you think you are still novice in playing poker, it is not advisable for you to play here. However, you can watch and learn techniques from some poker experts who play in this site. The software Full Tilt Poker has, plus the customer service they provide is one of the finest.

Absolute Poker

In order for you to participate in this site, you have to download the Absolute Poker software which was updated recently. This makes playing poker online easier for users and they also allow US players to participate. Absolute Poker has been operational for a time now but they were able to make a noise towards the American players.

Ultimate Bet

This is one of the excellent poker sites on the Internet today. Beside the fact that they are accepting US players, they are also endorsed by Phil Hellmuth a.k.a. “The Poker Brat”. Ultimate Bet is considered very famous by its players.

The US law doesn’t really make playing poker online as an illegal game although in some states and ethnic laws it does for some Unites States residents. Therefore, you have to make sure that you know the laws of your states before you participate in a poker online game.

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12 Oct 09

The Donk Disease

Being a donk is a hazardous disease for an online poker player. It does not affect the health of your body, but inflicts severe damage to the patient’s wallet, and you want to have a healthy and full wallet don’t you? Avoid contracting the donk disease at all costs for the sake of your bankroll by knowing how to take preventive measures.

The donk disease is highly contagious, when you are playing against donks you have to know what are you doing or you will become a donk too, it is not a joke, even the most skilled player can turn into a donk if he is playing among donks and doesn’t know what to do and which are the symptoms.

1)Donks sometimes get lucky and you will suffer a sad bad beat as a result of it, like the typical donk who had a pocket pair and chased you to hit three of a kind on the river. This will enrage you and there are high chances for you to start playing compulsively to get your money back from that donk. This compulsive playing will turn yourself into another donk and you will get the same chances as him to earn money. Calm down, relax or even stop playing poker for 10 minutes, think that if donks never get lucky they won’t play online poker and your source of money will be off.

2)Donks like to go to the flop very often; around 20% to 50% of the times, the donk likes to call the preflop to “see what happens”. It is impossible to get good cards enough to see the flop in 20% to 50% of hands so… they basically play with crap. Playing crap sometimes pays and they hit good combinations with them, but according to the odds law, they will lose money on the long run. Skilled players know that, but when they see a donk calling a lot of preflops with crap they want to catch the donk and start calling the preflop as well to take the donk’s money. By this they have been infected and start doing the same as the donk, turning into a donk as well.

3)Donks think they are not donks and are very proud of their playing style. They usually say thinks like “nh” (nice hand) or “wp” (well played) when they lose a hand not because of his opponent’s good skill, but for their own stupidity and lack of brains. These encouragements may turn a good player into an overconfident player and next time he may not play well against another player thinking he could do the same as he did against the donk… and lose. Disregard the donk’s compliments, they doesn’t even know what playing well is.

As a general guideline, pretend donks are not donks and play against them as if they were skilled players, if you turn more aggressive when playing against donks you are turning yourself into a donk and you’ll have high chances of getting your wallet ill.

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